NBS Cryo - Putting a Freeze on Inefficiencies in the Process
NBS Cryo Research Ltd is a successful business which has grown year on year delivering cryogenic freezers to laboratory and pharmaceutical customers worldwide. NBS requested MAS assistance to make the manufacturing task more flexible and to improve overall effectiveness while ensuring that production rates better match real demand rates and meet customer service expectations.
Key Achievements
- People productivity improved by 50%
- Product flow distance reduced by 50%
- Implemented 5S practices and established benchmark standards in manufacturing cells
- Value add per person improved by 32%
- Improved Sales capacity of 50%
- GVA achievement of £2.25M
The project objective was defined as: “ To identify and implement efficiency improvements in production and product flow processes that will result in a productivity improvement and a corresponding increase in sales revenue.”
Working with two multi-functional project teams that were introduced to Lean manufacturing and the variety of tools available, a Value Stream Mapping workshop and a 5S workshop were carried out. The workshops utilised Lean learning as the teams planned their approach to each project. The VSM team plotted its current state process, identified potential opportunities for improvement and any non-value adding activities that could be either reduced or eliminated.
The 5S team carried out an initiative in a nominated cell before applying the practice across the whole production area.
Both teams embraced the concepts and the value of Lean which allowed for an integration of ideas and solutions towards the back-end of the project. The company was very positive in its acceptance of team autonomy during the project phase which resulted in quick decisions and approvals. The resultant outcome of the 10 day programme is that a new production flow process has reduced distance travelled by 50%, improved value add per person by 32%, improved productivity by 50%, improved production capacity by 50%, established benchmarks for optimum working conditions and established a workforce that understands Lean and is capable of implementing, sustaining and improving these practices.
